Other notable lead roles include Bob Rafelson's Blood and Wine (1997), the titular character in John Waters' Cecil B. DeMented (2000) and Johnny Marco in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010), as well as Britney Spears’ boyfriend in her 2004 music video for "Everytime".

Supporting roles include Candy Darling in I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), Detective Scott Strauss in World Trade Center (2006), Homer Van Meter in Public Enemies (2009), Stavros in Immortals (2011), Joseph Kuklinski in The Iceman (2012) and Ketchum in Old Henry (2021).

[9] Dorff started acting in the late 1980s, landing a few minor roles before being cast as the star of The Gate (1987), a horror film about a boy who, along with a friend, discovers a hole in his back yard that is a gateway to hell.

He made guest appearances in television programs such as Diff'rent Strokes, Family Ties, Blossom, Roseanne, and Married... with Children.

In 1993, director Marty Callner hired him to star alongside teen idol Alicia Silverstone in the music video Cryin' by American rock band Aerosmith.

He played Dale Massie in the 2003 thriller Cold Creek Manor, alongside Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone.

[14] Dorff also starred in The Motel Life opposite Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning and Kris Kristofferson and in the crime drama film Officer Down.